


We Keep This Love in a Photograph

by HuntersMoon47



Series: Wait For Me To Come Home [11]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Eventual Smut, Fix-It, Mass Effect 3, Paragade (Mass Effect), Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:28:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22581013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HuntersMoon47/pseuds/HuntersMoon47
Summary: Reunions
Relationships: Female Shepard & Garrus Vakarian, Female Shepard/Garrus Vakarian
Series: Wait For Me To Come Home [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/646886
Comments: 12
Kudos: 56





	1. Chapter 1

_Kaiden!_

She kept hearing her scream over and over in her head as she rode the elevator up to the hospital. She kept seeing that woman smash his head into the side of the shuttle; kept seeing her toss his limp body aside like a rag doll. 

Nausea rolled over her. Regardless of what had happened between them, she’d cared about him once; still cared about him. Once a member of her crew, always a member, even if you acted like an ass. She’d almost lost one today. Watched as he almost got the literal life beat out of him. 

To make matters worse, Palaven was burning. And there was no word from Garrus. 

She’d lost her temper with the Council to no avail. As predicted, they hadn’t listened. Despite her aggressive reminder that she’d sacrificed human lives to save theirs and they had been literally of no use to her since. 

Nor did she trust Udina’s sudden support of her. The man was a snake in the grass. 

The only person who had provided any hope was the Turian Ambassador. It was a sliver; a nearly impossible task, but it was better than nothing. Which is what she’d gotten from everyone else. She’d done dozens of nearly impossible things before.

Just get the Krogans to support the Turians. No big deal. She’d come back from the dead; she could repair hundreds of years of hatred. 

She had to.

So they could fight the Reapers while they built the secret weapon found in the Prothean Archives. 

If she wasn’t living this madness, she wouldn't believe it. 

Danica sighed and dropped her head back, staring at the ceiling. This was the first time she’d had a moment to think since James had come to get her to talk to the defense committee. The first moment she’d had to breathe. And she hated it. She needed to not think; to not _feel._ She needed to focus on her work. Because if she gave herself time to think or feel she wasn’t sure she was going to be able to keep going.

The elevator doors slid open and the VI’s monotone voice welcomed her Huerta Memorial Hospital. Danica scanned the room out of habit before hurrying to the admissions counter. Two human women and an Asari, dressed in pressed white uniforms stood behind the counter. One of the humans looked up at her. 

“What can I do for you?” She asked in a voice that was too calm for the end of the galaxy. It grated on Danica’s nerves.

“There was a Major Alekno brought in from the docking bay with severe wounds,” she said. EDI had notified the hospital as soon as the Normandy had come through the Mass Relay and the medics had met them as soon as they were docked. She’d tried to come with but Liara had calmly reminded her that the Council waited. And then she’d run into Bailey. And then the reporter. 

“I’m sorry, ma’am, I can’t release patient information,” the woman said politely. Danica ground her teeth together. She forced herself to take a deep breath and remind herself that the woman was only doing her job. 

“He came in on my ship,” she said, keeping her words slow and measured. “He’s a member of my crew. I’d like to see him. Please.”

“Your name and rank?”

“Commander Danica Shepard.” She clenched her jaw tighter listening to the woman click-clack on the console. She knew it shouldn’t annoy her so much, but she was strung too thin. Eventually, the woman shook her head.

“I’m sorry, Ma’am, but my records show that you were relieved of active duty six months ago. I can’t let you in.”

“Your records are out of date,” Danica snapped. Irritation flashed across the woman’s face but she just stared at Danica, unwilling to relent. Danica stretched her neck and tried again. “I’m also a Spectre, so if you could just let me in, that would be great.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Did you hear me?” Her voice was too loud. She felt several people in the lobby pause and stare at her. In the back of her mind, a voice told her to reel it back in, but she felt like a snowball rolling down a mountain - out of control and growing bigger as she went. “I’m a god-damned Spectre and I want to know what room Kaidan Alenko is in.”

“I don’t care if you're the Queen of the Universe, we don’t release patient information without the proper authorization and you don’t have it.” The woman pursed her lips together and a growl rumbled in Danica’s throat. 

“Listen, you little…”

“Commander!”

Danica stopped before her tirade even got started and turned to see Chakwas standing behind her. 

“Karin?”

“I thought I heard your lovely voice,” she said with a snarky smile. “Still making friends everywhere we go, I see.”

Danica rocked back on her heels, taken by surprise at the sudden emotion that rolled over her. She was so happy to see her; so happy she wasn’t on Earth. Concern flashed across Chakwas’ face and she reached out to grab Danica’s arm steadying her. 

“What are you doing here?” Danica managed to get out.

“I’m working at an Alliance R&D lab down in Shitara Wards coordinating closely with Admiral Hackett. I heard you escaped Earth on the Normandy, and that someone was critically injured. I came as fast as I could.” Of course, she had. Danica pulled in a deep breath and steadied herself. She needed to find time to get some rest.

“Have you seen him?” Danica asked. Chakwas looked behind Danica to the receptionist and gave a slight nod of her head.

“Come with me,” Chakwas said, her hand still on Danica’s arm. Danica let the doctor lead her through a set of doors and down a corridor, pausing for decontamination scans. Chakwas spoke while the walked. “He’s doing very well, considering. I’m impressed with the Major’s resilience. The staff here is quite good. He’s in good hands, Commander.”

They stopped in front of a patient room. Danica caught a glimpse of Kaiden on the hospital bed, eyes closed, face bruised but the blood cleaned off. She felt sick again and looked away. She told herself to focus on something else. Work. Business. No room for thinking or feeling. Danica looked at Chakwas. 

“I’m putting a team together,” she said. “Again. Your place is on the Normandy, not in some research lab.”

“I couldn’t agree more, Commander.” Chawkwas smiled and Danica felt herself relax a bit. Joker and Karin would be on board. Her crew. Her people. “You say the word, and I’m with you.”

“The Normandy wouldn’t be the same without you, Doc.” There was too much emotion in her voice and she caught the concern in Chakwas’ eyes. Danica would no doubt be getting a lecture about self-care later. But it was worth it to have the Doc back. “Get your things, then. Docking Bay D-24.” 

Chakwas nodded toward the room behind Danica. 

“I’ll make sure you get clearance to visit whenever you like, seeing as how I won’t be here to prevent another incident,” Chakwas teased. “Then I’ll meet you at the ship, Commander.”

She gave Danica’s arm a squeeze before leaving her standing in front of the door to Kaiden’s hospital room. Danica took a deep breath before stepping forward and waiting for the door to slide open. There was Kaiden, laying on the bed, bare-chested, his body a wreck. Her throat closed as she stepped into the room and approached the bedside. She scanned his body, one that she used to know well, marking every bruise and contusion that she could. 

“Hey Kaiden. I don’t know if you can hear me, but you can’t tell me to get the hell out either so I’ll take my chances.” Danica paused and shook her head. She had no idea why she was talking to him like he could hear. But whatever anger she’d carried with her regarding Kaiden had evaporated as she’d watched him get beaten within an inch of his life. Replaced with a need to put it behind them; to move forward. As colleagues at least; maybe someday as friends. “You don’t get to die. We need you in this. Seeing you in action again - it reminded me that you’re a hell of a soldier. You have to fight through this, Alenko. You have to. That’s an order.” 

Danica jumped when the door slid open behind her and a man - Kaiden’s doctor she presumed, walked in. He nodded to her but didn’t kick her out. Chakwas must have given the heads up. She cleared her throat.

“If you need anything, doc, let me know.” She glanced at Kaiden one last time, then nodded to the doctor and headed for the door. 

She stopped at the desk on the way out and apologized to the receptionist. At first, the woman didn’t say anything. Then she asked a question that felt like a punch to the gut. 

“What is it like on Earth, Commander?”

“Like a nightmare,” Danica said, pushing away memories of the Reaper appearing through the clouds; of the shuttle with the boy exploding; of Anderson waving goodbye. She had to focus on her role. She was Commander Shepard. She was going to bring the galaxy together to fight. And she needed to start getting bye-in now. “But we’re going to fight back. All of us. The galaxy together.”

Hope mingled with the sorrow in the woman’s eyes. She smiled sadly at Danica and nodded. 

“If you ever need anything while you’re here, Commander, just let me know.”

Thank god for Karin Chakwas and her ability to clean up Danica’s fuck ups. 

Danica offered a tight smile in return and then headed for the elevator. There was a job to be done and she was the one who had to do it. 

She’d start with Palavan. 


	2. Garrus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Garrus!

Palaven was burning. 

Garrus stood outside his bunker on Menae and stared at his home below. The landmasses he had studied as a child on maps and holos were spotted with growing areas of glowing red fires. His father and his sister were down there somewhere. It was, he supposed, a small mercy that his mother had not survived to see the Reaper invasion. In her healthy days, she would have fought, but her illness had turned her into someone he didn’t recognize - nervous; scared; reserved. Watching the invasion would have been more terror for her than most. No, it was better that she wasn’t here for this. 

“You’re supposed to be in bed, Advisor Vakarian.”

The Turian who appeared at his side was dressed in his armor, even though he too was supposed to be in bed. They were in armor all the time now. The Turian military at war. It was a well-oiled, structured, armor-clad machine. Wearing his armor so much had been an adjustment when he got back to Palaven. He hadn’t realized how used he’d gotten to being in his civilian clothes while he was on the Normandy; how much he had changed. 

“As are you, General Victus,” Garrus said. He’d known Adrian Victus before going to C-Sec. He’d always like him - probably because Victus had even more of a reputation for being a bad Turian than Garrus Vakarian. Willing to color outside the lines; bending the rules, even ignoring direct orders from time to time. Victus got away with it because he got results for the Hierarchy. Garrus had just given the Hierarchy the finger and joined a human commander on an Alliance ship without looking back. “Can I do anything for you?”

“Nope,” Adrian said, his subvocals colored with a little bit of humor and a little bit of concern. That had been another adjustment. Garrus had gotten used to not being around other Turians; to not having to control his subvocals. He’d revealed far too much about his relationship with Shepard to his father in those first few days back. At least he’d gotten it under control before he’d been...promoted. “I wanted to see how you were doing after the news about Earth.”

Garrus’ chest tightened until it became difficult to breathe. 

Palaven was burning. 

And so was Earth. 

Reports said Earth was worse than Palaven. Looking at his homeworld burn below, it was hard to imagine what worse looked like.

Shepard had been on Earth when it happened. And there had been no word from her or about her. Liara had been silent. There had been no emergency protocol contact from Hackett or Anderson. Hopefully, she was alive and there was no need. 

Or they were all dead. 

“I thought so,” Victus commented. Garrus’s head snapped sideways to look at him. The General shrugged. “You’re pretty good at controlling your subvocals for someone who hasn’t been around Turians for a while, but not when it comes to the Commander.”

“She’s....important to me,” he responded.

“And you’ve had no word?” 

“Nothing.” His gut twisted as panic fought to claw its way into his mind. Despite his feelings for her, he didn’t have the luxury of letting panic take over. He was in the middle of a war. He had people depending on him. He had to stay focused on the mission. 

It suddenly occurred to him that this was how Shepherd must feel all the time. And she had been in this position for far longer than he had. If she were alive, she must be exhausted. And they had so much further to go. 

“From my understanding of Commander Shepard,” Victus’s words interrupted Garrus’ thoughts. “If anyone were to survive the attack on Earth, it would be her.”

Garrus snorted.

“Well, you’re not wrong,” he said. It was kind of Victus to offer words of support. In the very Turian, sideways manner. “Knowing her, she’s probably rallying the galaxy to fight back.”

“You think she’d leave Earth behind?”

Garrus tilted his head to the side, considering Victus’s question. Honestly, the thought had never crossed his mind. She’d want to fight; she’d want to stay on Earth to protect her home. Of course, that’s what she’d want. Yet , Danica Shepard had an incredible ability to focus on the big picture. And that was saving the galaxy, not just Earth. If she’d survived, she wouldn’t be on Earth, no matter how much she wanted to be. She’d be flying around the Galaxy, trying to find a way to fight, rallying all of her allies, pulling people together to fight the invasion together. He said as much to Victus. 

“Good,” the General nodded. “That’s the kind of person we need out there.”

They stood there for a few more minutes in silence, watching Palaven. Then Victus clapped Garrus on the shoulder and turned away without another, disappearing into the night.

Thoughts of Shepard swirled around in his mind - worries, hopes, regrets, desires. Eventually, he tipped his head back and whispered a prayer to the Spirits, or whoever was listening - he wasn’t really picky at this point - that she was alive and well. Then he forced the thoughts out of his head as he ducked back inside the bunker. He had to sleep. He was back on the battlefield at the beginning of the day shift. Regardless of his worries for Danica, he had to be ready to fight. He had an important role in this now. There was a job to be done and he had to be the one to do it.

It was two days later that word came to him through his comms. Humans were here. On Menae. The Normandy. And Commander Shepard. 

She was alive. 

She was alive and she was here. 

“The General is asking for you, Sir,” the young Turian said. Garrus couldn’t remember his name. It was partially on purpose. The kid was young and green. He was unlikely to survive the day and the losses were harder if you remembered their names. It was cold and calloused, but the weight was growing too heavy to carry as more of his kind died around him every day. “They’re looking for General Victus. What should I tell him?”

“Tell him I’ll come to them,” Garrus said, sliding his rifle into its spot on his back. The kid nodded at him and got back on the radio. Garrus didn’t wait to confirm that the General got his message before he started for base camp. 

She was alive and she was here and he was going to see her again. He brushed his hand over his chest, where the picture of her was tucked into his undersuit, pressed to his chest plate as he hurried to find his Commander.


	3. Danica

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today felt like a good day for two chapters.

She fucking hated husks. But the comm tower was back up and she’d made it back to the makeshift base. The General was alive and still at his post. At this point, she counted that as a win. He nodded to her as she approached him. 

“What have you got?” She asked. Corinthus snorted, his subvocal twanging with frustration.

“As your partner said, succession is usually simple. But right now, the hierarchy is in chaos - so many dead or MIA.”

“I need someone,” Danica said, her patience running out. She was being snappy and she knew Corinthus didn’t deserve it but her temper was flaring. “I don’t care who, as long as they can get us the Turian resources we need.

“I’m on it, Shepard. We’ll find you the Primarch.”

She almost started crying when she heard his voice. Her knees almost gave out when she saw him approaching. She almost tackled him to the ground and tore off his armor when his ice blue eyes met hers. 

He was alive. He was safe. He was here.

His mandibles flicked in a familiar, affectionate Turian smile as he strode toward her with his Black Widow in his hands and a swagger in his step. 

Home. She was finally home.

“Garrus!” she almost shouted, not caring if she gave too much away with the General standing there. Corinthus whipped around as Garrus placed his gun on his back.

“Vakarian! Sir! I didn’t see you arrive.”

Danica felt her eyebrows shoot up at the formal address from the General. And then go higher when it didn’t phase Garrus at all. 

“At ease, General,” he said casually as if he said it every day. His head dipped just a little in embarrasement when he looked at her and saw the surprise on her face.

“You’re alive,” she breathed, her words catching in her throat as she reached out for him. He took her hand in his and then closed the second one around it. It was a big gesture of affection in a culture that tended to keep such things under wraps. Especially on a battlefield. 

“I’m hard to kill,” he said with a wink and just like that she almost laughed. She would never know how she had gone for six months without him. It was like she was breathing for the first time in half a year. “You should know that.”

“I thought you’d be on Palaven,” she said, trying to make herself sound professional but there was still too much emotion. She could feel James’ gaze on her. A low, soft rumble in Garrus’ subvocals reached her ears, drawing attention from the General. Garrus either didn’t notice or didn’t care.

“If we lose this moon, we lose Palaven,” he explained. “I’m the closest damned thing we have to a Reaper expert so I’m...advising.”

She held his gaze for a moment longer, wanting to say so much more, until James’ uncomfortable shifting behind her reminded her that there was business to conduct. 

“Lieutenant James Vega, this is Garrus Vakarian. He helped me stop the Collectors,” she stepped aside so James could move forward and shake Garrus’ hand. Her eyes met the Turian’s once again, sending her heart racing. “He’s a hell of a soldier.”

“Lieutenant,” Garrus nodded at Vega, his eyes then sliding to Liara. “Glad to see you too, T’Soni.”

Liara smiled. 

“Good to see you in one piece, Garrus,” she said. “We were very worried about you.”

Garrus winked at her and then turned back to Danica. 

“General Corinthus filled me in,” he said. “We know who we’re after.”

“Palaven Command tells me that the next Primarch is General Adrien Victus.” Corinthus pitched in from where he bent over his work station again. Garrus snorted.

“Victus?” Liara echoed the name. “His name has crossed my desk.”

“Garrus?” Shepard asked, wanting his input. 

“I was fighting alongside him this morning. LIfelong military. Gets results, popular with his troops.” He paused. “Not so popular with military command - has a reputation for playing loose with accepted strategy.”

“Sounds like my kind of Turian,” she said, enjoying the humor that flashed in Garrus' eyes. “Think he can get the job done?”

“We both know conventional strategy won’t work against the Reapers. Right now, he could be our best shot. And I trust him.” His subvocals were low and smooth, confirming his words. There were few people Garrus talked about like that. If he trusted this Victus that much, so did she.

“Okay, let's get him on the shuttle and get out of here,” She said. Garrus had just pulled his gun back off his back when Joker came through her comms.

“Commander! Shepard, come in!”

“Can this wait, Joker?” Maybe it was something serious. Maybe he’d found another one of those stupid Shepard porns that had apparently grown in popularity. She never really knew with him. “We’re in the middle of a war zone.”

Garrus nodded to her and started to lead the way. Danica fell into step next to him, Liara and Vega right behind her. 

“We’ve got a situation on the Normandy, Commander. It’s like she’s possessed - shutting down systems, powering up weapons.” Joker sounded stressed. “I can’t find the source.”

Danica sighed and looked at Liara. 

“We need the Normandy to stand by,” she said. “We may need to bug out.”

“I can go back and take a look,” Liara said. Danica wished Tali was here. She’d be able to figure it out faster than any of them. Danica nodded. 

“Do it.” 

Liara hurried back toward the shuttle as Danica glanced at Garrus.

“You were with Victus this morning?”

“Yeah, but we got separated. He went to bolster a flank that was breaking. Could be anywhere out there.” His voice was different now than it had been just moments ago; he was in battle mode. Focused. Observant. Ready to leap into action at any moment. Hot as fucking hell. God help her, she wanted to push him against the nearest surface and...

Garrus stopped abruptly and looked at her, mandible pulled tight. Damn Turians and their sense of smell. She grinned slyly at him. 

"Something wrong, Advisor Vakarian?" She teased. His growl was low and loud. 

"Um, what is happening right now?" Vega asked. They were saved by Corinthus.

“We’re trying to raise Victus, Commander,” he said. Danica couldn't tear her eyes away from Garrus. And then James shouted. 

“Harvester! Headed for the airfield!”

“God Damnit,” Danica mumbled, breaking eye contact with her Turian to fire at the Harvester as it few over. Once it passed, she turned to Corinthus. “General, tell Primarch Victus we’ll rendezvous here. In the meantime, let’s go take care of whatever that thing dropped off. Coming, Garrus?”

She couldn’t remember a time she’s seen his plates flicker so much, eyes twinkling. 

“Are you kidding?” He asked. “I’m right behind you. Just like always.”

And despite their worlds burning, despite the sounds of gunfire, Reaper guns, and the full might of the Turian military in the air above, her smile was so big she thought it would split her face open.


	4. Garrus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just like old times.

He was sure he had just watched her die again as that big, fat husk, Reaper thing slammed into her and pressed her between its body and the rock. His subvocals go crazy, drawing the gaze of the few surviving Turians around him. The muscled human - Vega - shouted her name. All was silent in the clearing for the longest five seconds of his life, all other fighting done. 

And then the creature exploded, body parts spraying everywhere, revealing Danica Shepard covered in gore, shotgun in hand. She was swearing so loudly he could hear her across the battlefield even with the comms in her helmet out. 

“Shepard! We can’t hear you!” Vega tapped on the side of his helmet when she looked up at him. Danica clipped her shotgun on her back and then lifted her helmet off her head. Garrus chuckled at the look of annoyance on her face as she walked towards them. 

“..gross motherfucking Reaper creeper,” she was mumbling. Without a word, she held out her helmet to him, pulled her gloves off and handed those to him, and then pulled her earpiece out of her ear. They interacted with an ease and familiarity that made Garrus feel more relaxed than had since leaving her at the Citadel more than six months ago. Even with the galaxy going to shit. After a few moments of her fiddling with it, there was a static burst in his comms. She glanced at him. “We good?”

“I think so,” he said with amusement. She cocked a half-grin at him as she took her gloves back, slipping them back on. 

“Shepard. Corinthus here.” 

Shepard reached up and adjusted the earpiece. 

“What’s the word on the Primarch?” she asked. 

“We still can’t get a stable comm link,” the General Reported. Shepard glanced at Garrus. 

“Okay,” she said. “I’m going on foot. Shepard out.”

She took her helmet back from him. Spirits, he had missed her. Just watching the way she moved, the way she spoke. Every little thing about her. Blue eyes flickered up to meet his. 

Those eyes were home. He’d spent six months on his planet and never been home. For a moment she held his gaze, 

“Garrus, take me to the last place you saw Victus,” she said in her Commander's voice, pulling him back to reality. They were working now. He could settle into her gaze later. If she still wanted that. Six months was a long time. He pushed down the doubt and nodded.

“Yes, Ma’am.” He said and began to lead her and the muscled one - Vega - through the mess that was Menae. They’d been going for about ten minutes before Shepard called for a stop. Something was wrong with the readout in her helmet. It must have been damaged when she got pounded by the monstrosity. The three of them settled in behind a ridge, just in case they needed cover, as Shepard pulled off the helmet and began fiddling with it.

Garrus risked a look up at his planet, his chest constricting as it always did when he saw the fires burning. 

“Damnit, look at Palaven,” he breathed. Shepard and Vega looked at him. He hadn’t really meant to say it out loud. Earth was worse by all reports. He nodded toward one of the major landmasses. “That blaze of orange - the big one - that’s where I was born.”

“That’s rough,” Vega said with clear empathy. “You still have family there?” 

“My dad. A Sister.” 

Shepard paused her work with her helmet and looked up at him. Even after six months apart, he could see the question in her eyes - had he heard from them? Swallowing hard, he shook his head and the sadness in her eyes was nearly as deep as it was in his chest. 

“How bad is it?” Vega asked, interrupting Garrus’ silent conversation with his commander. Garrus glanced at him and heard Shepard return to her work. 

“Three million lost the first day,” Garrus rumbled. “Five the second.”

Vega swore under his breath.

‘Yeah. It’s hard to think about what could have been had they only listened to Shepard’s warnings about the Reapers earlier. We might have been ready.”

Shepard snorted deep in her throat. 

“You wouldn’t believe the number of times I’ve thought that in the last week,” she said, the frustration in her voice clear. She sucked in a deep breath and pulled her helmet back on. “But it doesn’t do any good. We are where we are. If I think of how much better this could be if things had been different, I’ll go crazy before we get anything done. So, we’ll work with what we’ve got. No matter how shitty.”

“Just like always,” Garrus confirmed, taking the veiled scolding willingly. She wasn’t wrong. She rarely was. Garrus silently promised to stop thinking about it and focus on moving forward. Just like Shepard. 

They were on the move again. Fighting through isolated groups of husks. James was grumbling about leaving Earth and why they were relying on the Asari and Salarians rather than the “meat” of the Krogan and Batarians. The Batarians though, already decimated by the Aratoth Relay, had taken the initial wave of Reapers. There were hardly any left. And the Krogan wouldn’t dream of helping either the Turians or the Salarians. 

Shepard and Vega had a special relationship. Garrus could tell by the ease they had moving around one another; by the tone in Shepard’s voice. Jealousy threatened the edge of his mind while he led them through the valleys of the moon. She didn’t seem to act around the human the way she did around him, but there was an affection there. Something different than most of her crew. He couldn’t quite put his finger on hit. 

The ground beneath him vibrated as an explosion shook the camp he knew was up ahead. The camp where Victus was supposed to be. 

“That sounds bad!” Vega shouted. Shepard snorted. 

“It’s probably right where we’re headed, considering my usual luck.” She glanced at Garrus, who shoved away thoughts of speculation and jealousy and shrugged. She snorted again. “Figures.”

The camp was a mess. Overrun with the Turian shaped husks and at least three of those giant brutes they had run into earlier. Shepard was a little more careful with it this time - directing Garrus to get up high and clear the smaller targets while her and Vega focused on the Brutes. Even then, Garrus had to hurry over to her and haul her off the ground when the last one went down. 

“You okay?” He asked. Shepard’s sigh was much larger and deeper than usual. “Shep?”

“Yeah, Garrus, I’m...alright.” 

He knew she was lying, but the look in her eyes kept him from pushing the issue now. She looked exhausted and he wondered how much sleep she’d gotten since leaving Earth. He dropped a hand on her shoulder. 

“Let’s find you a Primarch.”


	5. Danica

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finding Shepard a Primarch

She was barely keeping herself together. The lack of sleep was getting to her. She knew better than to go into battle in the kind of shape she was in but she hadn’t had a choice. Nightmares kept her awake. She’d been lucky to get more than a few hours a cycle since leaving Earth. 

The glitch in her helmet had been made up. In truth, she’d just needed a fucking break. A chance to breathe and fight back the emotions at having Garrus back at her side. The relief she’d felt when first seeing him had swelled to the point it had nearly suffocated her. Never before had she had to stop on the battlefield to collect herself like that. Though, her planet had never been burning and the galaxy under threat of extinction before either so she was trying not to be too hard on herself. 

While she’d managed to escape detection by Garrus earlier, he knew now - or was at least getting an idea - of what kind of shape she was in. Thankfully, though he hadn’t pushed it. Vega knew her well - he’d been right next door when she’d woken from her nightmares screaming for the last six months - but she didn’t want him to know how fragile she was right now. 

Garrus nodded at something over her shoulder and Danica pulled off her helmet as she turned around. The ramp leading to a bunker was lowering to reveal a group of Turian soldiers. At the front, one stood taller than the others, clad in black armor with red accents. Thick, white lines of his clan marking covered most of his face and he moved with the sure and easy grace of a soldier. Danica tucked her helmet under her arm and approached him. 

“General Victus?” She asked. The Turian stopped a few feet away and studied her with intense grey eyes. After a few moments, his eyes flickered over her shoulder to where she could feel the presence of Garrus, and then back to her. 

“You must be Commander Shepard. So, Vakarian finally found you.” The general stowed his gun as a familiar, protective rumbled echoed in Garrus’s chest before he caught itself, and the sound cut short. Victis stowed his gun and clasped his hands behind his back as his gaze shifted to Garrus once again. “Where did you go, Advisor?” 

“Heavy Reaper unit on the right flank,” Garrus answered, a subtle bemusement in his undertone. “I believe your exact words were, ‘Get that thing the hell off my men.’”

“Appreciated.” There was a barely noticeable flick of Victus’s mandible and amusement rumbled in his subvocals as his attention shifted back to Danica. “Commander, I can’t wait to find out what brings you all the way out here.”

She wished she could enjoy the easy bantering between Garrus and Victus. She’d never really got to see him interact with other Turians this way. But she had business to get to. 

“General, you’re needed off-planet. I’ve come to get you.” Danica steeled herself for some resistance. This man was clearly a soldier. Getting him to leave his home while it was under attack wasn’t going to be easy. She knew what it felt like. Sure enough, the small plate over his left eye raised slowly.

“It will take something beyond important for me to leave my men. Or my Turian brothers and sisters in their fight.”

“Fidorian was killed.” Garrus stepped forward so he was standing next to Danica. There was a tone in his subvocals that she didn’t recognize that almost sounded like pleading. “You’re the new Primarch.” 

The Primarch’s mandibles slackened, his eyes flickering between Garrus and Danica. She pressed ahead.

“You’re needed immediately to chair a summit to represent your people in the fight against the Reapers,” Dania explained. Victus blinked at her a few times and then started walking past Danica and Garrus. He paused a few feet from them, his body silhouetted against the fires burning on Palaven. He looked up at his home. 

“I’m Primarch of Palaven?” The Turian said quietly, shaking his head. “Negotiating for the Turian hierarchy?”

“Yes,” Shepard confirmed. There wasn’t must else she could say and she got the feeling being direct with the General - Primarch - would be her best approach. Victus turned and walked back toward her. 

“I’ve spent my whole life in the military,” he said. “I’m no diplomat. I hate diplomats.”

“What makes you think you’re not qualified?” She asked. 

“I’m not really a by the book kind of guy. And I piss people off. 

“Perfect. Me too. You’ll fit right in.” Danica responded with a snort before thinking. Behind her both Garrus and Vega chuckled. Victus cocked his head to the side as he studied her and Danica attempted to be a professional again. “The book isn’t going to be of much help here, General. I think we're all better off with someone who has been rewriting it for years already.”

“My family has been military since the Unification War. War is my life. It is in my bones but that kind of passion is...deceptive. It makes you seem reckless when you’re anything but.” 

“War is your resume.” Danica could tell she was going to like Victus, but she could also see the hesitation in him. And they could not afford hesitation right now. She needed him to believe he could do this. “At times like this, we need leaders who’ve been through that hell.”

“I like that.” Victus nodded for a moment before continuing. “You’re right.”

“And honestly, uniting these races might take as much strength as fighting Reapers.” Danica paused. It was time to really drive this home. She turned and walked to the same spot the Primarch had been just a few minutes ago. “You see this devastation, Primarch? Double that for Earth. I need an alliance. I need the Turian Fleet.” 

Victus followed her, his eyes looking back up at his home and then back to her. After a few moments of pause, he nodded.

“Give me a moment to say good-bye to my men.”

“Of course,” she said. Garrus came to stand next to her as Victus began making the rounds with his men. Vega stayed a safe distance away, a disinterested look on his face, but his eyes sharp, taking everything in. 

“Without him down here, there is a good chance we lose this moon,” Garrus said as he stopped by his side. There was no malice in his tone; no anger. He was just telling her so that she understood what she was asking. Danica looked up at him.

“Without him up there, there is a good chance we lose everything.” Emotions began to well up in her chest again as his eyes held hers. She wanted nothing more than to drag him back to the Normandy, lock the door to her cabin, and lose herself in his embrace. God, she had missed him. Missed him more than she had missed anyone or anything. It was terrifying and thrilling at the same time. But she'd never been one to shy away from uncharted territory. Her thoughts were interrupted by the unmistakable sound of a Reaper off in the distance. They both looked to the sound as the massive creature moved over the surface of the moon.

“Look at that. And they want my opinion on how to stop it. Failed C-Se Officer. Vigilante. And I’m their expert advisor?” Garrus sighed and looked down at her again. “Do you think you can win this thing, Shepard?” 

If it were anyone else, she’d try to lie. But it was Garrus. And she would never lie to him.

“I don’t know, Garrus.” She shook her head. “But I’m damn sure gonna give it my best shot.”

A pleased, proud, affectionate tone rumbled in his subvocals and it bolstered her to know he believed in her.

“I’m damn sure nobody else could do it.” He said, his tone dropping lower before he continued. “For whatever it’s worth, I’m with you.”

“It’s worth everything,” Shepard said quietly, hoping her eyes said what her words weren’t. That she couldn’t do it without him. That she’d felt like part of her was missing while she was away from him. That there was no her without him. Anything else that might have been said was cut short by the approach of the former General Victus. Danica peeled her eyes away from Garrus. “Are you ready, Primarch Victus?”

“One thing. Commander,” Victus stopped in front of her and glanced up at the planet again. Danica sensed the request before it came. She’d been doing this long enough to know that help never came without a price. Especially when the person she needed help from was responsible for an entire race. “I appreciate your need for a fleet but I can’t spare them. Not while my world is burning. But, if the pressure could be taken off Palaven…”

It was all Danica could do to not groan as he continued. She knew what he'd ask for. It was the same thing she'd ask for if she were in his place. Only the Krogan stood a chance at stopping this onslaught. She'd just been explaining to Vega less than an hour ago that the Krogan would never help them.

“That’s a pretty tall order,” Shepard said, not succeeding in keeping the incredulous tone out of her voice. Victus’ grey eyes settled on her.

“Vakarian speaks incredibly highly of you. From what I hear, tall orders are your specialty.” There was a teasing tone in his subvocals. The damn Primarch was baiting her to take the challenge and it was working. She could feel her pride rising, pushing away the reasonable thoughts in her mind. Victus’ mandibles flickered in a Turian-style grin. The bastard knew it too. Danica could see why Garrus like him. “We need the Krogan. I don’t see us winning this thing without them. Get them to help us and then we can help you.”

“Well, Shep, it looks like your summit just got a lot more interesting.” Garrus chuckled. Danica elbowed him the ribs. 

“Our summit, Vakarian,’ she half growled. “If you’re with me, that means the good and the ugly - like getting the damn Krogan to ally with the Turians and Salarians.”

“If that’s what this job is gonna be, I need to think about it a little bit more,” Garrus teased. Danica elbowed him again. 

“Too late, Big Guy. You’re in the thick of it now.”

The Primarch was watching the two of them carefully, humor echoing in his subvocals, head tipped a little to the side, and his mandibles flickering just slightly. Danica cleared her throat. 

“Vega, get someone down here to get us,” she shouted at the lieutenant. 

“Yes, Ma’am. But, uh, just so you know, the ship is still being...weird.” 

“Of course it is,” Danica mumbled. “Don’t worry, Primarch. We’ve got the best engineers on board. The Normandy was in the middle of a remodel when we had to flee. We’re still making adjustments. But she’s still the Normandy.”

“I’ve heard a lot about this human-turian marvel,” the Primarch said. “I’m eager to see her in person.”

“Good, because you may be spending more time on it than we planned if we’re going to have to convince the Krogans to help.”


End file.
